“ duì le ， xián xiōng mèi zěn me huì zài zhè lǐ ？” yòu liáo le yī huì er ， lín xuān hái shì àn nà bù zhù xīn zhōng de hào qí ， kāi kǒu suí yì wèn le yī jù 。
“对了，贤兄妹怎么会在这里？”又聊了一会儿，林轩还是按捺不住心中的好奇，开口随意问了一句。
"By the way, why are you two here?" After chatting for a while, Lin Xuan couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
liǎng xiōng mèi duì shì yī yǎn ， liǎn shàng de biǎo qíng jiē yǒu xiē àn rán ， xú fēng tàn le kǒu qì ， suī wǎng shì bù kān huí ， dàn lín xuān yǒu ēn yú jǐ ， tā yě bù xiǎng yǐn mán 。
两兄妹对视一眼，脸上的表情皆有些黯然，徐风叹了口气，虽往事不堪回，但林轩有恩于己，他也不想隐瞒。
The two siblings exchanged glances; their faces were somewhat gloomy. Xu Feng sighed. Although he didn't want to hide it, he knew that Lingyun Sect had done something wrong by aligning with the three major factions. The original intention was to avoid trouble, as a sect like Heavenly Mountain couldn't remain neutral and risk being attacked by both sides.
yuán lái yōu zhōu zhèng mó duì lì ， tiān shān pài wèi le dào tǒng néng gòu chuán xù xià qù ， zuǒ sī yòu xiǎng ， zuì hòu hái shì jiā rù le sān jù tóu yī biān 。
原来幽州正魔对立，天山派为了道统能够传续下去，左思右想，最后还是加入了三巨头一边。
The decision of the sect's true master wasn't entirely wrong. But when one is under someone else's roof, they have no choice but to bow their heads. "Sheep into the tiger's mouth—how do you mean that?" Lin Xuan showed a hint of interest on his face.
zhè me zuò de chū zhōng běn shì wèi le bì huò ， bì jìng xiàng tiān shān zhè zhǒng shí lì bù ruò de mén pài ruò bù biǎo míng lì chǎng ， hěn yǒu kě néng shòu dào zhèng mó shuāng fāng de tóng shí dǎ yā 。
这么做的初衷本是为了避祸，毕竟像天山这种实力不弱的门派若不表明立场，很有可能受到正魔双方的同时打压。
"Senior, you don't know about this," Xu Feng's sister said indignantly before Xu Feng could explain further. "We originally thought that by submitting to the three major factions, we would receive some care. Although we had to serve them, it was worth surviving this crisis. But..."
zhǎng mén zhēn rén de jué dìng bìng bù suàn yǒu cuò 。
掌门真人的决定并不算有错。
"How so?"
kě rén zài wū yán xià ， bù dé bù dī tóu ， yí dàn yáng rù hǔ kǒu ， kě jiù shì shēn bù yóu jǐ le 。
可人在屋檐下，不得不低头，一旦羊入虎口，可就是身不由己了。
"They didn't treat us as allies but as slaves, completely ignoring the safety of Heavenly Mountain's disciples."
“ yáng rù hǔ kǒu ， cǐ huà zěn shuō ？” lín xuān liǎn shàng lù chū yī sī gǎn xìng qù de shén sè 。
“羊入虎口，此话怎说？”林轩脸上露出一丝感兴趣的神色。
"Slaves?" Lin Xuan was taken aback and looked at the young woman in front of him. "That’s quite an exaggeration, friend. Your words might be a bit too harsh."
“ qián bèi yǒu suǒ bù zhī ， nà sān jù tóu zhēn bú shì dōng xī 。” xú fēng hái lái bù jí jiě shì ， tā de mèi mèi jiù fèn fèn rán de kāi kǒu ：“ yuán běn wǒ men yǐ wéi guī shùn le sān jù tóu ， duō shǎo néng gòu dé dào yì diǎn zhào gù ， suī yào gōng tā men qū cè ， dàn néng dù guò zhè cì wēi jī yě suàn zhí de ， nǎ zhī dào ……”
“前辈有所不知，那三巨头真不是东西。”徐风还来不及解释，她的妹妹就愤愤然的开口：“原本我们以为归顺了三巨头，多少能够得到一点照顾，虽要供他们驱策，但能度过这次危机也算值得，哪知道……”
"Sigh, although my sister is mischievous, what she said is true. The truth is as such," Xu Feng sighed. "During the Great War between Righteous and Evil, our disciples who were affiliated with them were treated like cannon fodder. Any dangerous missions were almost exclusively given to us, and any mistakes would result in severe punishment."
“ rú hé ？”
“如何？”
"Yes, just a short while ago, one-third of Heavenly Mountain's disciples died or were injured," Xu Ying's pretty face showed sadness as she spoke, clearly resenting the three major factions even more.
“ tā men gēn běn jiù méi yǒu jiāng wǒ men dāng méng yǒu ， ér shì zuò wèi nú lì ， gēn běn jiù bù guǎn tiān shān dì zǐ de sǐ huó 。”
“他们根本就没有将我们当盟友，而是做为奴隶，根本就不管天山弟子的死活。”
"Hmm."
“ nú lì ？” lín xuān bù yóu yī lèng ， kàn le shēn qián de shào nǚ yī yǎn ：“ méi yǒu zhè me kuā zhāng ba ， dào yǒu cǐ yán shì bú shì yǒu xiē tài guò 。”
“奴隶？”林轩不由一愣，看了身前的少女一眼：“没有这么夸张吧，道友此言是不是有些太过。”
Lin Xuan nodded. He didn't comment but thought about it carefully. Such things were brutal and reasonable, for in the struggle between Righteous and Evil to dominate the cultivation world, both sides naturally cherished their disciples' safety. Thus, the first battle was a sacrifice of those affiliated with them as cannon fodder.
“ āi ， xiǎo mèi suī rán tiáo pí ， dàn suǒ jiǎng zhī yǔ què shí méi yǒu tiān yóu jiā cù ， shì shí rú cǐ 。” xú fēng tàn le kǒu qì ：“ zhèng mó bào dà zhàn ， wǒ men zhè xiē yī fù yú tā men de mén pài dì zǐ ， jiù bèi dàng chéng le pào huī ， fán shì wēi xiǎn de rèn wù ， jī hū quán jiāo yóu wǒ men qù zuò ， ér qiě shāo yǒu chā chí 。 zhòng fá lì zhì 。”
“唉，小妹虽然调皮，但所讲之语确实没有添油加醋，事实如此。”徐风叹了口气：“正魔爆大战，我们这些依附于他们的门派弟子，就被当成了炮灰，凡是危险的任务，几乎全交由我们去做，而且稍有差池。重罚立至。”
Self-interest is paramount; survival of the fittest is evident in the cultivation world.
“ shì a ， zhè cái duō jiǔ ， wǒ men tiān shān pài de dì zǐ jiù sǐ shāng le sān fēn zhī yī 。” xú yīn de qiào liǎn shàng ， lù chū yī sī àn rán ， yǔ qì zhī jiān ， duì sān jù tóu gèng shì chōng mǎn le bù mǎn 。“
“是啊，这才多久，我们天山派的弟子就死伤了三分之一。”徐茵的俏脸上，露出一丝黯然，语气之间，对三巨头更是充满了不满。“
Lin Xuan couldn't comfort them either. For a while, the three were silent.
“ ń 。”
“嗯。”
After a long time, Lin Xuan spoke again: "That's how it is. But why are you two here in the Ten Thousand Mountains? Could this be another task assigned by the three major factions to collect spirit pills and herbs?"
lín xuān diǎn diǎn tóu 。 bù zhì kě fǒu 。 zǐ xì xiǎng xiǎng 。 zhè yàng de shì qíng suī rán cán kù ， dàn yě zài qíng lǐ zhī zhōng ， zhèng mó liǎng dào zhēng duó yōu zhōu xiū zhēn jiè de bà quán ， dàn liǎng biān zì rán dōu ài xī mén xià dì zǐ de yǔ máo 。 gù ér zhè dì yī bō dà zhàn ， zì rán shì ràng yī fù yú tā men de kuǐ lěi mén pài zuò pào huī 。
林轩点点头。不置可否。仔细想想。这样的事情虽然残酷，但也在情理之中，正魔两道争夺幽州修真界的霸权，但两边自然都爱惜门下弟子的羽毛。故而这第一波大战，自然是让依附于他们的傀儡门派做炮灰。
"Ah..." Xu Feng's face turned pale as she stammered.
rén bù wèi jǐ tiān zhū dì miè ， ruò ròu qiáng shí zài xiū zhēn jiè gèng shì tǐ xiàn dé lín lí jìn zhì 。
人不为己天诛地灭，弱肉强食在修真界更是体现得淋漓尽致。
Lin Xuan smiled gently, understandingly saying, "If there’s any difficulty, Brother Xu doesn’t need to say anything. I was just casually asking; no need to worry about it." The siblings were grateful for his words.
lín xuān yě bù hǎo ān wèi shén me ， yī shí zhī jiān ， sān rén xiàn rù le chén mò 。
林轩也不好安慰什么，一时之间，三人陷入了沉默。
Xu Feng gritted her teeth and said, "Senior, you are too harsh. My life is saved by you, how could we hide from you? We didn't come here on a mission but escaped the sect privately."
liáng jiǔ ， lín xuān cái chóng xīn kāi kǒu ：“ yuán lái rú cǐ ， bù guò xián xiōng mèi wèi hé yòu huì lái dào zhè shí wàn dà shān zhī zhōng ， nán dào yě shì sān jù tóu ān pái xià dì rèn wù ， yào nǐ men shōu jí líng dān líng cǎo ？”
良久，林轩才重新开口：“原来如此，不过贤兄妹为何又会来到这十万大山之中，难道也是三巨头安排下地任务，要你们收集灵丹灵草？”
"What?" Lin Xuan was taken aback despite his composure. Escaping the sect was a serious offense, but he didn’t rush to ask anything further as they had started.
“ zhè ……” xú fēng liǎn shàng yī bái 。 tūn tūn tǔ tǔ shuō bù chū huà lái 。
“这……”徐风脸上一白。吞吞吐吐说不出话来。
"About two months ago, my sister and several dozen fellow disciples were ordered to guard a certain crystal mine. The place was remote and unremarkable, so we thought it would be safe with dozens of base foundation stage cultivators. But fate was against us; at the critical moment, this ordinary crystal mine suddenly produced large amounts of middle-grade crystal stones."
lín xuān wēi wēi yī xiào 。 shàn jiě rén yì de dào ：“ ruò shì yǒu nán chǔ ， xú xiōng yě jiù bù bì shuō le 。 zài xià bù guò suí kǒu yī wèn ， wú xū fàng zài xīn shàng 。” tīng lín xuān de huà 。 xiōng mèi liǎ dōu hěn gǎn jī ， xú fēng yá chǐ yī yǎo ：“ qián bèi yán zhòng le ， wǒ hé xiǎo mèi zhī mìng shì nín suǒ jiù ， rú hé hái gǎn yǐn mán nín ne ， shì zhè yàng ， wǒ liǎ bìng fēi wài chū zhí xíng rèn wù ， ér shì lí pài sī táo 。”
林轩微微一笑。善解人意的道：“若是有难处，徐兄也就不必说了。在下不过随口一问，无需放在心上。”听林轩的话。兄妹俩都很感激，徐风牙齿一咬：“前辈言重了，我和小妹之命是您所救，如何还敢隐瞒您呢，是这样，我俩并非外出执行任务，而是离派私逃。”
"Middle-grade crystal stones?" Lin Xuan's eyebrows raised as a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
“ shén me ？” tīng le zhè huà ， jí biàn yǐ lín xuān de chéng fǔ ， yě bù yóu sǒng rán dòng róng ， lí pài sī táo ， zhè ge zuì míng kě shì bù xiǎo ， dāng rán ， tā bìng méi yǒu jí zhe xún wèn shén me ， duì fāng jì rán yǐ jīng kāi le gè tóu ， zì rán huì yǒu shǐ yǒu zhōng 。
“什么？”听了这话，即便以林轩的城府，也不由耸然动容，离派私逃，这个罪名可是不小，当然，他并没有急着询问什么，对方既然已经开了个头，自然会有始有终。
It was well-known that crystal stones contained abundant primordial qi from heaven and earth, serving as currency in the cultivation world. Crystal stones were divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. The higher the grade, the more abundant the primordial qi within, and its use in crafting or combat was greater.
“ shì qíng shì zhè yàng de ， dà yuē liǎng gè yuè qián ， xiǎo mèi hé mén xià de shù shí wèi shī xiōng dì ， fèng mìng zhù shǒu mǒu chù jīng kuàng ， yuán běn zhè ge dì fāng wèi zhì piān pì ， bìng bù rě rén zhù yì ， jí hé shù shí míng zhù jī qī xiū shì ， ān quán yīng gāi shì méi yǒu wèn tí ， nǎ zhī dào rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn ， piān piān zài zhè jiē gǔ yǎn ér shàng ， zhè chù pǔ tōng dì jīng kuàng ， tū rán jué chū le dà liàng dì zhōng pǐn jīng shí 。”
“事情是这样的，大约两个月前，小妹和门下的数十位师兄弟，奉命驻守某处晶矿，原本这个地方位置偏僻，并不惹人注意，集合数十名筑基期修士，安全应该是没有问题，哪知道人算不如天算，偏偏在这节骨眼儿上，这处普通地晶矿，突然掘出了大量地中品晶石。”
However, in this world, over 90% of crystal stones mined from mines were low-grade, with few producing middle-grade ones. Each time such a discovery was made, it would cause chaos.
“ zhōng pǐn jīng shí ？” lín xuān méi tóu yī tiāo ， yǎn zhōng yǐn yǐn shǎn guò yī sī yì máng 。
“中品晶石？”林轩眉头一挑，眼中隐隐闪过一丝异芒。
This news had been strictly confidential among the three major factions, but for some reason, it somehow leaked out.
zhòng suǒ zhōu zhī ， jīng shí yùn hán yǒu fēng fù dì tiān dì líng qì ， zài xiū zhēn jiè de zuò yòng ， yǔ huò bì wú yì ， tóng shí ， jīng shí yě fēn wéi shàng zhōng xià sān gè děng jí ， děng jí yuè gāo ， lǐ miàn líng qì liàng yě yuè chōng zú ， tóng shí ， zhì qì huò dòu fǎ de shí hòu ， zuò yòng yě yuè dà 。
众所周知，晶石蕴含有丰富地天地灵气，在修真界的作用，与货币无异，同时，晶石也分为上中下三个等级，等级越高，里面灵气量也越充足，同时，制器或斗法的时候，作用也越大。
Thus, the Extreme Demon Sovereign dispatched numerous subordinates to attack.
rán ér zài zhè yī jiè ， cóng jīng kuàng zhōng kāi cǎi chū lái de jīng shí ， bǎi fēn zhī jiǔ shí yǐ shàng dōu shì xià pǐn ， néng gòu chū chǎn zhōng pǐn jīng shí dì kuàng cáng liáo liáo wú jǐ ， měi yī cì xiàn shì ， dū huì xiān qǐ xīng fēng xuè yǔ 。
然而在这一界，从晶矿中开采出来的晶石，百分之九十以上都是下品，能够出产中品晶石地矿藏寥寥无几，每一次现世，都会掀起腥风血雨。
Although the Righteous sect's high-ranking officials quickly sent reinforcements, they were too late.
yuán běn zhè ge xiāo xī ， sān jù tóu nèi bù yě shì yán gé bǎo mì ， rán ér bù zhī dào zěn me huí shì ， jū rán hái shì mò míng qí miào de bèi xiè lòu le chū qù 。
原本这个消息，三巨头内部也是严格保密，然而不知道怎么回事，居然还是莫名其妙的被泄露了出去。
The result was obvious. Although there were array formations, in the end, only a dozen base foundation stage disciples defended the crystal mine, while on the opposite side, there were several dozen condensation core cultivators and vastly more troops. The outcome was clear without fighting.
yú shì jí è mó zūn pài qiǎn le dà pī shǒu xià qián qù gōng dǎ 。
于是极恶魔尊派遣了大批手下前去攻打。
Heavenly Mountain's disciples guarding the mine weren't fools; with such a disparity in strength, fighting would be like eggs hitting stones!
zhèng dào gāo céng suī rán yě lián máng pài chū yuán jūn ， kě què wǎn le yì diǎn 。
正道高层虽然也连忙派出援军，可却晚了一点。
After gathering to discuss, seeing that it couldn’t be done, they chose to retreat.
jié guǒ kě xiǎng ér zhī ， zhè biān suī rán yǒu zhèn fǎ yī tuō ， kě guī gēn jié dǐ ， zhǐ yǒu shù shí míng zhù jī qī dì zǐ ， ér mó dào nà biān ， guāng shì níng dān qī gāo shǒu ， jiù yǒu qī bā rén zhī duō ， zài jiā shàng shù bèi yú duì fāng de bīng lì ， jī hū bù yòng dǎ ， jiù zhī dào jié guǒ 。
结果可想而知，这边虽然有阵法依托，可归根结底，只有数十名筑基期弟子，而魔道那边，光是凝丹期高手，就有七八人之多，再加上数倍于对方的兵力，几乎不用打，就知道结果。
Technically, what they did wasn't wrong as staying wouldn't change anything. The only difference was adding several more innocent souls to the list of those who died for nothing.
zhù shǒu jīng kuàng de tiān shān dì zǐ yòu bú shì bái chī ， shuāng fāng shí lì xuán shū tài dà ， yǔ duì fāng dǎ ， wú yì yú jī dàn pèng shí tou a ！
驻守晶矿的天山弟子又不是白痴，双方实力悬殊太大，与对方打，无异于鸡蛋碰石头啊！
But no one expected such a disaster to occur because of this.
zhòng rén jù zài yì qǐ shāng liáng zhī hòu ， jiàn shì bù kě wèi ， yě jiù xuǎn zé le tuì zǒu 。
众人聚在一起商量之后，见事不可为，也就选择了退走。
The three major factions were extremely angry when the crystal mine was seized and punished Heavenly Mountain's disciples for deserting their post during battle.
yán gé shuō lái ， tā men zhè me zuò bìng méi yǒu cuò ， bì jìng liú xià lái yě bù kě néng gǎi biàn shén me ， wéi yī de qū bié jiù shì duō zēng jiā jǐ tiáo wú gū wǎng sǐ de yuān hún bà le 。
严格说来，他们这么做并没有错，毕竟留下来也不可能改变什么，唯一的区别就是多增加几条无辜枉死的冤魂罢了。
"Senior Lin, do you think they are unreasonable? Asking us to face off against condensation core cultivators is suicide," Xu Ying frowned as she spoke, still visibly angry.
kě shuí yě bù céng liào xiǎng ， jiù yīn wèi zhè yàng què chuǎng xià le mí tiān dà huò 。
可谁也不曾料想，就因为这样却闯下了弥天大祸。
Lin Xuan sighed and comforted them casually. In his heart, he had his own thoughts. From his perspective, the other side did this for a reason. The three major factions, including the Green Cloud Mountain sect, had ruled over the Ten Thousand Mountains for thousands of years, so their high-ranking officials couldn't be mere empty vessels. Losing the crystal mine was not due to their fault but rather an unforeseen event.
jīng kuàng bèi duó ， sān jù tóu de gāo céng shí fēn zhèn nù ， yú shì yǐ lín zhèn tuō táo de zuì míng ， yào yán chéng dāng shí bǎ shǒu jīng kuàng de tiān shān dì zǐ 。
晶矿被夺，三巨头的高层十分震怒，于是以临阵脱逃的罪名，要严惩当时把守晶矿的天山弟子。
The reason they punished Heavenly Mountain's disciples who deserted their posts despite knowing it wasn’t their fault was to set an example and quell discontent below. They understood that making their affiliated sects cannon fodder would alienate them, with growing resentment and even calls for secession.
“ lín qián bèi ， nǐ shuō tā men shì bú shì bù jiǎng dào lǐ ， jū rán yào wǒ men zhè xiē rén ， qù yìng káng nà xiē níng dān qī dì xiū shì ， zhè bú shì zhǎo sǐ 。” tán qǐ dāng rì zhī shì ， xú yīn xiù méi wēi zhòu ， liǎn shàng dì shén sè yī rán chōng mǎn le fèn nù 。
“林前辈，你说他们是不是不讲道理，居然要我们这些人，去硬扛那些凝丹期地修士，这不是找死。”谈起当日之事，徐茵秀眉微皱，脸上地神色依然充满了愤怒。
Those high-ranking婴 stage experts wouldn't allow this situation to continue. Given the current circumstances, they couldn’t use appeasement; instead, they decided to use a bloody method to quell discontent below. Unfortunately, those dozens of Heavenly Mountain sect cultivators just happened to be caught in the crossfire.
"By the way, why are you two here?" After chatting for a while, Lin Xuan couldn't help but ask out of curiosity.
The two siblings exchanged glances; their faces were somewhat gloomy. Xu Feng sighed. Although he didn't want to hide it, he knew that Lingyun Sect had done something wrong by aligning with the three major factions. The original intention was to avoid trouble, as a sect like Heavenly Mountain couldn't remain neutral and risk being attacked by both sides.
The decision of the sect's true master wasn't entirely wrong. But when one is under someone else's roof, they have no choice but to bow their heads. "Sheep into the tiger's mouth—how do you mean that?" Lin Xuan showed a hint of interest on his face.
"Senior, you don't know about this," Xu Feng's sister said indignantly before Xu Feng could explain further. "We originally thought that by submitting to the three major factions, we would receive some care. Although we had to serve them, it was worth surviving this crisis. But..."
"How so?"
"They didn't treat us as allies but as slaves, completely ignoring the safety of Heavenly Mountain's disciples."
"Slaves?" Lin Xuan was taken aback and looked at the young woman in front of him. "That’s quite an exaggeration, friend. Your words might be a bit too harsh."
"Sigh, although my sister is mischievous, what she said is true. The truth is as such," Xu Feng sighed. "During the Great War between Righteous and Evil, our disciples who were affiliated with them were treated like cannon fodder. Any dangerous missions were almost exclusively given to us, and any mistakes would result in severe punishment."
"Yes, just a short while ago, one-third of Heavenly Mountain's disciples died or were injured," Xu Ying's pretty face showed sadness as she spoke, clearly resenting the three major factions even more.
"Hmm."
Lin Xuan nodded. He didn't comment but thought about it carefully. Such things were brutal and reasonable, for in the struggle between Righteous and Evil to dominate the cultivation world, both sides naturally cherished their disciples' safety. Thus, the first battle was a sacrifice of those affiliated with them as cannon fodder.
Self-interest is paramount; survival of the fittest is evident in the cultivation world.
Lin Xuan couldn't comfort them either. For a while, the three were silent.
After a long time, Lin Xuan spoke again: "That's how it is. But why are you two here in the Ten Thousand Mountains? Could this be another task assigned by the three major factions to collect spirit pills and herbs?"
"Ah..." Xu Feng's face turned pale as she stammered.
Lin Xuan smiled gently, understandingly saying, "If there’s any difficulty, Brother Xu doesn’t need to say anything. I was just casually asking; no need to worry about it." The siblings were grateful for his words.
Xu Feng gritted her teeth and said, "Senior, you are too harsh. My life is saved by you, how could we hide from you? We didn't come here on a mission but escaped the sect privately."
"What?" Lin Xuan was taken aback despite his composure. Escaping the sect was a serious offense, but he didn’t rush to ask anything further as they had started.
"About two months ago, my sister and several dozen fellow disciples were ordered to guard a certain crystal mine. The place was remote and unremarkable, so we thought it would be safe with dozens of base foundation stage cultivators. But fate was against us; at the critical moment, this ordinary crystal mine suddenly produced large amounts of middle-grade crystal stones."
"Middle-grade crystal stones?" Lin Xuan's eyebrows raised as a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.
It was well-known that crystal stones contained abundant primordial qi from heaven and earth, serving as currency in the cultivation world. Crystal stones were divided into three grades: upper, middle, and lower. The higher the grade, the more abundant the primordial qi within, and its use in crafting or combat was greater.
However, in this world, over 90% of crystal stones mined from mines were low-grade, with few producing middle-grade ones. Each time such a discovery was made, it would cause chaos.
This news had been strictly confidential among the three major factions, but for some reason, it somehow leaked out.
Thus, the Extreme Demon Sovereign dispatched numerous subordinates to attack.
Although the Righteous sect's high-ranking officials quickly sent reinforcements, they were too late.
The result was obvious. Although there were array formations, in the end, only a dozen base foundation stage disciples defended the crystal mine, while on the opposite side, there were several dozen condensation core cultivators and vastly more troops. The outcome was clear without fighting.
Heavenly Mountain's disciples guarding the mine weren't fools; with such a disparity in strength, fighting would be like eggs hitting stones!
After gathering to discuss, seeing that it couldn’t be done, they chose to retreat.
Technically, what they did wasn't wrong as staying wouldn't change anything. The only difference was adding several more innocent souls to the list of those who died for nothing.
But no one expected such a disaster to occur because of this.
The three major factions were extremely angry when the crystal mine was seized and punished Heavenly Mountain's disciples for deserting their post during battle.
"Senior Lin, do you think they are unreasonable? Asking us to face off against condensation core cultivators is suicide," Xu Ying frowned as she spoke, still visibly angry.
Lin Xuan sighed and comforted them casually. In his heart, he had his own thoughts. From his perspective, the other side did this for a reason. The three major factions, including the Green Cloud Mountain sect, had ruled over the Ten Thousand Mountains for thousands of years, so their high-ranking officials couldn't be mere empty vessels. Losing the crystal mine was not due to their fault but rather an unforeseen event.
The reason they punished Heavenly Mountain's disciples who deserted their posts despite knowing it wasn’t their fault was to set an example and quell discontent below. They understood that making their affiliated sects cannon fodder would alienate them, with growing resentment and even calls for secession.
Those high-ranking婴 stage experts wouldn't allow this situation to continue. Given the current circumstances, they couldn’t use appeasement; instead, they decided to use a bloody method to quell discontent below. Unfortunately, those dozens of Heavenly Mountain sect cultivators just happened to be caught in the crossfire.